Ted Deutch

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Congressman Ted Deutch, 46, is serving his third term in the U.S. House of Representatives on behalf of Florida's 21st district, which includes South Florida communities throughout Palm Beach County and Broward County. An Assistant Whip to Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, he has been highlighted by the Washington newspaper Roll Call as a young, rising voice in the House Democratic Caucus, and was previously named one of America's top Jewish politicians to watch by the Forward newspaper. Ted is a member of the House Judiciary Committee, the House Ethics Committee, and the House Foreign Affairs Committee, in which he serves as the Ranking Member on the Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee.

Since first coming to Congress following a special election in April of 2010, Ted has become known as an energetic advocate for his constituents and the author of several prominent legislative initiatives. His plan to extend the solvency of Social Security and improve benefits for all retirees has been highlighted by The New York Times for its comprehensive approach to strengthening our nation's most successful domestic program. His work advocating for federally-funded stem cell research, affordable health care for all Americans, and support for Americans with disabilities has been recognized by the American Cancer Society, the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, and other national organizations. His priorities in the 113th Congress include strengthening the health and financial security of America's retirees, reforming our broken campaign finance system, creating economic opportunity for South Florida families, and advancing the security interests of the United States, Israel, and our international allies.

As a member of the House Judiciary Committee, Ted has led efforts to strengthen the integrity of our elections by protecting the right to vote and limiting the influence of money in politics. He helped bring national attention to an effort by Florida Governor Rick Scott to purge 180,000 voters from Florida's rolls in advance of the 2012 election by highlighting the stories of decorated war veterans, small business owners, and naturalized citizens whose voting rights were unjustly jeopardized. He also gained national recognition for authoring the Outlawing Corporate Cash Undermining the Public Interest in our Elections and Democracy Amendment, the most widely supported constitutional amendment introduced in the 112th Congress to overturn the Supreme Court's disastrous Citizens United v. FEC decision. He has worked closely with a coalition of national advocacy groups, including Public Citizen, People for the American Way, Communications Workers of America, Move to Amend, and the Center for Media and Democracy, to support the growing grassroots movement of Americans determined to get money out of politics.

Ted is a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee who at the start of the 113th Congress was elected as Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa. A lifelong activist in the pro-Israel community, Ted is an established leader on issues related to Iran's illicit quest for nuclear weapons. Several of his measures, including the Iran Transparency and Accountability Act and the Iran Human Rights and Democracy Promotion Act, earned strong bipartisan support during the 112th Congress and were later signed into law by President Obama as part of the Iran Threat Reduction Act. Ted first gained expertise on issues related to Iran's nuclear weapons program when as a Florida State Senator he authored and passed the first law in the country divesting state pension funds from companies that do business in Iran. In addition, Ted has worked tirelessly to defend U.S. foreign aid to other nations plagued by disease, poverty, and hunger from politically-motivated budget cuts.

Ted has also spearheaded efforts to address challenges unique to Florida's 21st district, such as the prevalence of contaminated drywall imported from China that has ruined the home values and put at risk the health of thousands of South Florida homeowners. The House and Senate recently passed the Drywall Safety Act, his legislation establishing safeguards to protect homeowners from sulfur-ridden drywall and pressuring the Chinese government to hold manufacturers of the tainted material accountable. Ted has also introduced legislation to protect seniors from financial scams and fraudulent products, help victims of Ponzi schemes recoup their assets, and strengthen federal efforts to combat homelessness among our nation's veterans.

Ted Deutch, and his wife of 20 years, Jill Deutch, have lived in South Florida since 1998. They reside in West Boca Raton, a community within Florida's 21st district, along with their three children, each of whom attend Palm Beach County public schools. Born and raised in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Ted is the youngest son of Jean and the late Bernard Deutch, a World War II veteran who earned a Purple Heart during the Battle of the Bulge. A graduate of the University of Michigan and the University of Michigan Law School, Ted's passion for public service earned him the prestigious Harry S. Truman Scholarship.